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The year 2014 marked the 75th anniversary of the first award of osteopathic specialty certification. The certification process is an important assessment tool for enhancing the quality of health care and protecting the public. Certification demonstrates a standard of excellence for osteopathic physicians, including quality of services and commitment to lifelong learning. In addition, many health care facilities and insurers require physicians to be board certified.

Since its establishment in 1939, the Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists, the official certifying body of the American Osteopathic Association, has issued 41,492 certifications including primary specialties, subspecialties, and added qualifications. As of December 31, 2014, a total of 26,774 osteopathic physicians were currently certified by the American Osteopathic Association and held a combined total of 31,150 active certificates, representing a 2.9% increase over the number of certificates held in 2013. In 2014, 1828 certificates were awarded in primary specialty and subspecialty areas. Additionally, 287 certificates of added qualifications were granted and 1208 recertifications (ie, Osteopathic Continuous Certification completions) were issued. A complete list of the certifications and recertifications processed in 2014 and the total number of active certifications by specialty is found in the Table.

Table.

Certification Statistics, 2014a

American Osteopathic Board of…

Certification Type

Description

New Certification

OCC Completion

Total

Anesthesiology

Primary

Anesthesiology

19 (1)

4 (<1)

624 (2)

CAQ

Pain management

1 (<1)

0

68 (<1)

CAQ

Critical care

0

0

5 (<1)

Dermatology

Primary

Dermatology

36 (2)

13 (1)

489 (2)

CAQ

Dermatopathology

0

0

8 (<1)

CAQ

Mohs micrographic surgery

3 (<1)

0

27 (<1)

CAQ

Pediatric dermatology

4 (<1)

0

4 (<1)

Emergency Medicine

CAQ

Emergency medical services

0

0

9 (<1)

Primary

Emergency medicine

155 (7)

104 (9)

2583 (8)

CAQ

Hospice and palliative medicine

0

0

3 (<1)

CAQ

Medical toxicology

0

0

10 (<1)

CAQ

Sports medicine

0

0

7 (<1)

CAQ

Undersea and hyperbaric medicine

2 (<1)

0

9 (<1)

Family Physicians

CAQ

Addiction medicine

0

0

4 (<1)

CAQ

Adolescent and young adult medicineb

0

0

9 (<1)

Primary

Family medicine/OMTc

533 (25)

392 (32)

11,985 (38)

CAQ

Geriatric medicine

10 (<1)

7 (1)

304 (1)

CAQ

Hospice and palliative medicine

86 (4)

1 (<1)

198 (1)

CAQ

Pain medicine

4 (<1)

0

15 (<1)

CAQ

Sleep medicine

1 (<1)

0

8 (<1)

CAQ

Sports medicine

22 (1)

4 (<1)

211 (1)

CAQ

Undersea and hyperbaric medicine

3 (<1)

0

23 (<1)

Internal Medicine

CSQ

Adult and pediatric allergy and immunology

0

1 (<1)

8 (<1)

CAQ

Cardiac electrophysiology

2 (<1)

0

24 (<1)

CSQ

Cardiology

30 (1)

29 (2)

486 (2)

CAQ

Critical care

0

11 (1)

141 (<1)

CSQ

Endocrinology

2 (<1)

3 (<1)

40 (<1)

CSQ

Gastroenterology

12 (1)

23 (2)

224 (1)

CAQ

Geriatrics

6 (<1)

2 (<1)

61 (<1)

CSQ

Hematology

1 (<1)

2 (<1)

46 (<1)

CAQ

Hospice and palliative medicine

66 (3)

0

104 (<1)

CSQ

Infectious diseases

4 (<1)

5 (<1)

72 (<1)

Primary

Internal medicine

397 (19)

177 (15)

3889 (12)

CAQ

Interventional cardiology

1 (<1)

4 (<1)

102 (<1)

CSQ

Nephrology

8 (<1)

5 (<1)

132 (<1)

CSQ

Oncology

6 (<1)

7 (1)

105 (<1)

CAQ

Pain medicine

2 (<1)

0

5 (<1)

CSQ

Pulmonary diseases

15 (1)

13 (1)

216 (1)

CSQ

Rheumatology

6 (<1)

3 (<1)

68 (<1)

CAQ

Sleep medicine

9 (<1)

0

59 (<1)

CAQ

Sports medicine

0

0

7 (<1)

CAQ

Undersea and hyperbaric medicine

3 (<1)

0

4 (<1)

Neurology and Psychiatry

CAQ

Addiction medicine

0

0

3 (<1)

CSQ

Child neurology

0

0

2 (<1)

CSQ

Child psychiatry

2 (<1)

2 (<1)

43 (<1)

CAQ

Geriatric psychiatry

2 (<1)

1 (<1)

11 (<1)

CAQ

Hospice and palliative medicine

0

0

2 (<1)

Primary

Neurology

15 (1)

5 (<1)

242 (1)

CAQ

Neurophysiology

0

0

24 (<1)

CAQ

Pain medicine

0

0

1 (<1)

Primary

Psychiatry

25 (1)

7 (1)

305 (1)

CAQ

Sleep medicine

5 (<1)

0

19 (<1)

NMM

Primary

NMM/OMM

40 (2)

62 (5)

565 (2)

CAQ

Pain medicine

5 (<1)

0

12 (<1)

Primary

Special proficiency in OMMb

0

0

114 (<1)

CAQ

Sports medicine

0

0

7 (<1)

Nuclear Medicine Obstetrics and Gynecology

Primary

Nuclear medicine

0

0

22 (<1)

CSQ

Female pelvic medicine reconstructive surgery

1 (<1)

0

5 (<1)

CSQ

Gynecologic oncology

2 (<1)

0

13 (<1)

CSQ

Maternal and fetal medicine

1 (<1)

1 (<1)

32 (<1)

Primary

Obstetrics and gynecologic surgery

0

0

49 (<1)

Primary

Obstetrics and gynecology

97 (5)

63 (5)

1215 (4)

CSQ

Reproductive endocrinology

1 (<1)

0

13 (<1)

CAQ

Sleep medicine

1 (<1)

0

1 (<1)

Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery

Primary

Facial plastic surgery

0

0

5 (<1)

Primary

Ophthalmology

12 (1)

10 (1)

360 (1)

Primary

Otolaryngology and facial plastic surgery

22 (1)

9 (1)

417 (1)

CAQ

Otolaryngology - sleep medicine

0

0

6 (<1)

CAQ

Otolaryngic allergy

0

1 (<1)

22 (<1)

Primary

Otolaryngology

0

2 (<1)

11 (<1)

Primary

Otorhinolaryngologyb

0

0

29 (<1)

Orthopedic Surgery

CAQ

Hand surgery

9 (<1)

0

56 (<1)

Primary

Orthopedic surgery

81 (4)

96 (8)

1254 (4)

CAQ

Undersea and hyperbaric medicine

0

0

1 (<1)

Pathology

Primary

Anatomic pathology

0

0

21 (<1)

Primary

Anatomic pathology and laboratory medicine

0

0

12 (<1)

CAQ

Dermatopathology

0

0

2 (<1)

CSQ

Forensic pathology

0

0

2 (<1)

Primary

Laboratory medicine

0

0

15 (<1)

Pediatrics

CSQ

Adolescent medicine

0

0

1 (<1)

CSQ

Adult and pediatric allergy and immunology

1 (<1)

0

2 (<1)

CSQ

Hospice and palliative medicine

2 (<1)

0

2(<1)

CSQ

Neonatology

2 (<1)

0

2 (<1)

CSQ

Pediatric allergy and immunology

0

0

7 (<1)

CSQ

Pediatric endocrinology

0

0

2 (<1)

CSQ

Pediatric pulmonologyb

0

0

2 (<1)

Primary

Pediatrics

41 (2)

26 (2)

549 (2)

CAQ

Sleep medicine

1 (<1)

0

1 (<1)

CAQ

Sports medicine

3 (<1)

0

4 (<1)

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

CAQ

Hospice and palliative medicine

0

0

1 (<1)

CAQ

Pain medicine

7 (<1)

0

28 (<1)

Primary

Physical medicine and rehabilitation

0

0

235 (1)

CAQ

Sports medicine

2 (<1)

0

5 (<1)

Preventive Medicine

CAQ

Occupational medicine

0

2 (<1)

50 (<1)

Primary

Preventive medicine-aerospace medicine

0

2 (<1)

39 (<1)

Primary

Preventive medicine-occupational medicineb

0

0

7 (<1)

Primary

Preventive medicine-public health

1 (<1)

0

36 (<1)

Primary

Preventive-occupational-environmental medicine

2 (<1)

6 (<1)

84 (<1)

CAQ

Sports medicine

0

0

1 (<1)

CAQ

Undersea hyperbaric medicine

0

0

6 (<1)

Proctology

Primary

Proctology

2 (<1)

2 (<1)

24 (<1)

Radiology

CAQ

Angiography and interventional radiologyb

1 (<1)

0

18 (<1)

CAQ

Body imagingb

0

0

9 (<1)

Primary

Diagnostic radiology

33 (2)

28 (2)

691 (2)

Primary

Diagnostic roentgenology

0

0

1 (<1)

CAQ

Diagnostic ultrasound

0

0

1 (<1)

CAQ

Neuroradiologyb

4 (<1)

2 (<1)

66 (<1)

CAQ

Nuclear radiology

0

0

4 (<1)

CAQ

Pediatric radiology

1 (<1)

0

23 (<1)

Primary

Radiation oncology

0

0

19 (<1)

CSQ

Radiation therapyb

0

0

1 (<1)

Primary

Radiologyb

0

0

44 (<1

CAQ

Vascular and interventional radiology

1 (<1)

4 (<1)

17 (<1)

Surgery

Primary

Cardiothoracic surgery

3 (<1)

0

13 (<1)

CAQ

Critical care surgery

16 (1)

4 (<1)

76 (<1)

Primary

General vascular surgery

9 (<1)

9 (1)

129 (<1)

CAQ

Hospice and palliative medicine

0

0

2 (<1)

Primary

Neurologic surgery

26 (1)

4 (<1)

124 (<1)

Primary

Plastic and reconstructive surgery

18 (1)

2 (<1)

81 (<1)

Primary

Surgery (general)

146 (7)

42 (3)

1119 (4)

Primary

Thoracic cardiovascular surgeryb

0

1 (<1)

48 (<1)

Primary

Thoracic surgeryb

0

0

5 (<1)

CAQ

Undersea and hyperbaric medicine

2 (<1)

0

3 (<1)

Primary

Urologic surgery

23 (<1)

5 (<1)

227 (1)

Total

2115

1208

31,150

a Data presented as No. (%). Percentages do not total 100 because of rounding. Totals are calculated by the Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists. Data are current as of December 31, 2014.b No longer issued.c Previously named family practice/osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT).Abbreviations: CAQ, Certification of Added Qualifications; CSQ, Certification of Special Qualifications; OCC, Osteopathic Continuous Certification; OMM, osteopathic manipulative medicine; NMM, neuromusculoskeletal medicine.

a Data presented as No. (%). Percentages do not total 100 because of rounding. Totals are calculated by the Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists. Data are current as of December 31, 2014.b No longer issued.c Previously named family practice/osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT).Abbreviations: CAQ, Certification of Added Qualifications; CSQ, Certification of Special Qualifications; OCC, Osteopathic Continuous Certification; OMM, osteopathic manipulative medicine; NMM, neuromusculoskeletal medicine.

Editor's Note: The JAOA theme issue on osteopathic medical education includes annual updates from the American Osteopathic Association's departments of accreditation and education. Last year's appendix on specialty board certification can be Accessed online at http://www.jaoa.osteopathic.org/content/114/4/313.full.

Figure.

Active certifications held, 2010 to 2014. Certifications increased from 26,698 in 2010 to 31,150 in 2014.

a Data presented as No. (%). Percentages do not total 100 because of rounding. Totals are calculated by the Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists. Data are current as of December 31, 2014.b No longer issued.c Previously named family practice/osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT).Abbreviations: CAQ, Certification of Added Qualifications; CSQ, Certification of Special Qualifications; OCC, Osteopathic Continuous Certification; OMM, osteopathic manipulative medicine; NMM, neuromusculoskeletal medicine.

a Data presented as No. (%). Percentages do not total 100 because of rounding. Totals are calculated by the Bureau of Osteopathic Specialists. Data are current as of December 31, 2014.b No longer issued.c Previously named family practice/osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT).Abbreviations: CAQ, Certification of Added Qualifications; CSQ, Certification of Special Qualifications; OCC, Osteopathic Continuous Certification; OMM, osteopathic manipulative medicine; NMM, neuromusculoskeletal medicine.